Switch Low Power State in a Blade Server System

1. A method comprising: receiving (i) a first plurality of data packets and (ii) a second plurality of data packets, wherein each data packet of the first plurality of data packets is assigned a first priority, and wherein each data packet of the second plurality of data packets is assigned a second priority that is lower than the first priority; based on receiving the first plurality of data packets, controlling transmission of the first plurality of data packets to (i) prevent transmission of the first plurality of data packets between a server blade and a switching module during a first off-time period and (ii) permit transmission of one or more of the first plurality of data packets between the server blade and the switching module during a first on-time period, wherein a first time period is substantially equal to a sum of (i) a duration of the first on-time period and (ii) a duration of the first off-time period; based on receiving the second plurality of data packets, controlling transmission of the second plurality of data packets to (i) prevent transmission of the second plurality of data packets between the server blade and the switching module during a second off-time period and (ii) permit transmission of one or more of the second plurality of data packets between the server blade and the switching module during a second on-time period, wherein a second time period is substantially equal to a sum of (i) a duration of the second on-time period and (ii) a duration of the second off-time period; and based on the first priority being higher than the second priority, controlling (i) the first off-time period, (ii) the first on-time period, (iii) the second off-time period and (iv) the second on-time period, such that the first time period is smaller than the second time period.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: based on the first priority being higher than the second priority, setting the duration of the first on-time period to be smaller than the duration of the second on-time period.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first duty cycle corresponds to a ratio of (i) the duration of the first on-time period and (ii) a duration of the first time period, and wherein the method further comprises: based at least in part on a load factor associated with data packets that are assigned the first priority, dynamically controlling the first duty cycle by dynamically varying the first on-time period and the first off-time period.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein a second duty cycle corresponds to a ratio of (i) the duration of the second on-time period and (ii) a duration of the second time period, and wherein the method further comprises: based at least in part on a load factor associated with data packets that are assigned the second priority, dynamically controlling the second duty cycle by dynamically varying the second on-time period and the second off-time period.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: causing the switching module to operate in a first level of low power state during the first off-time period.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising: causing the switching module to operate in a second level of low power state during the second off-time period.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising: in response to causing the switching module to operate in the first level of low power state during the first off-time period, causing a first component of the switching module to operate in a low power state during the first off-time period; and in response to causing the switching module to operate in the second level of low power state during the second off-time period, causing a second component of the switching module to operate in the low power state during the second off-time period, wherein the first component is different from the second component.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein: the first component is a first buffer configured to buffer one or more data packets of the first plurality of data packets; and the second component is a second buffer configured to buffer one or more data packets of the second plurality of data packets.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein: one or more components, included in the switching module and associated with routing one or more data packets of the first plurality of data packets, operate during the first level of low power state in one of (i) a low power mode, (ii) a deep power down mode, or (iii) a switched off mode; and one or more components, included in the switching module and associated with routing one or more data packets of the second plurality of data packets, operate during the second level of low power state in one of (i) a low power mode, (ii) a deep power down mode, or (iii) a switched off mode.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: while the transmission of the first plurality of data packets from the server blade to the switching module is prevented during the first off-time period, buffering a first data packet of the first plurality of data packets in the switching module; and while the transmission of the one or more of the first plurality of data packets between the server blade and the switching module is permitted during the first on-time period, transmitting the first data packet that was buffered in the switching module during the first off-time period.

11. A blade server system comprising: a switching module configured to route (i) a first plurality of data packets and (ii) a second plurality of data packets, wherein each data packet of the first plurality of data packets is assigned a first priority, and wherein each data packet of the second plurality of data packets is assigned a second priority that is lower than the first priority; a server blade communicatively coupled to the switching module; and a packet flow control module communicatively coupled to the switching module and the server blade, wherein the packet flow control module is configured to control transmission of the first plurality of data packets to (i) prevent transmission of the first plurality of data packets between a server blade and a switching module during a first off-time period and (ii) permit transmission of one or more of the first plurality of data packets between the server blade and the switching module during a first on-time period, wherein a first time period is substantially equal to a sum of (i) a duration of the first on-time period and (ii) a duration of the first off-time period, control transmission of the second plurality of data packets to (i) prevent transmission of the second plurality of data packets between the server blade and the switching module during a second off-time period and (ii) permit transmission of one or more of the second plurality of data packets between the server blade and the switching module during a second on-time period, wherein a second time period is substantially equal to a sum of (i) a duration of the second on-time period and (ii) a duration of the second off-time period, and based on the first priority being higher than the second priority, control (i) the first off-time period, (ii) the first on-time period, (iii) the second off-time period and (iv) the second on-time period, such that the first time period is smaller than the second time period.

12. The blade server system of claim 11 , wherein the packet flow control module is further configured to: based on the first priority being higher than the second priority, set the duration of the first on-time period to be smaller than the duration of the second on-time period.

13. The blade server system of claim 11 , wherein a first duty cycle corresponds to a ratio of (i) the duration of the first on-time period and (ii) a duration of the first time period, and wherein the packet flow control module is further configured to: based at least in part on a load factor associated with data packets that are assigned the first priority, dynamically control the first duty cycle by dynamically varying the first on-time period and the first off-time period.

14. The blade server system of claim 13 , wherein a second duty cycle corresponds to a ratio of (i) the duration of the second on-time period and (ii) a duration of the second time period, and wherein the packet flow control module is further configured to: based at least in part on a load factor associated with data packets that are assigned the second priority, dynamically control the second duty cycle by dynamically varying the second on-time period and the second off-time period.

15. The blade server system of claim 11 , wherein the packet flow control module is further configured to: cause the switching module to operate in a first level of low power state during the first off-time period.

16. The blade server system of claim 15 , wherein the packet flow control module is further configured to: cause the switching module to operate in a second level of low power state during the second off-time period.

17. The blade server system of claim 16 , wherein the packet flow control module is further configured to: in response to causing the switching module to operate in the first level of low power state during the first off-time period, cause a first component of the switching module to operate in a low power state during the first off-time period; and in response to causing the switching module to operate in the second level of low power state during the second off-time period, cause a second component of the switching module to operate in the low power state during the second off-time period, wherein the first component is different from the second component.

18. The blade server system of claim 17 , wherein: the first component is a first buffer configured to buffer one or more data packets of the first plurality of data packets; and the second component is a second buffer configured to buffer one or more data packets of the second plurality of data packets.

19. The blade server system of claim 16 , wherein: one or more components, included in the switching module and associated with routing one or more data packets of the first plurality of data packets, operate during the first level of low power state in one of (i) a low power mode, (ii) a deep power down mode, or (iii) a switched off mode; and one or more components, included in the switching module and associated with routing one or more data packets of the second plurality of data packets, operate during the second level of low power state in one of (i) a low power mode, (ii) a deep power down mode, or (iii) a switched off mode.

20. The blade server system of claim 1 , wherein the packet flow control module is further configured to: while the transmission of the first plurality of data packets from the server blade to the switching module is prevented during the first off-time period, cause a first data packet of the first plurality of data packets to be buffered in the switching module; and while the transmission of the one or more of the first plurality of data packets between the server blade and the switching module is permitted during the first on-time period, cause the first data packet that was buffered in the switching module during the first off-time period to be transmitted.